


Destined

by Whedonista93



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Constipation, F/M, Multi, Pining, Politics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:27:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28849827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whedonista93/pseuds/Whedonista93
Summary: As Éponine listens to Cosette sing, she thinks she might understand, just a bit, how Marius fancies himself in love without ever speaking to the other woman.
Relationships: Cosette Fauchelevent/Marius Pontmercy, Cosette Fauchelevent/Marius Pontmercy/Éponine Thénardier, Javert/Jean Valjean, Marius Pontmercy/Éponine Thénardier
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	1. Éponine Thénardier

“You know everyone, don’t you, ‘Ponine?” Marius wheedles with a smile.

Éponine grins back. “If I don’t, I will.”

Marius rests his hands on her shoulder and turns her toward the bustle of the Farmer’s Market, then points to a blonde in a blue summer dress. “Who is she?”

Éponine tilts her head. “Now what do you want with a delicate little thing like that?”

Marius gives her a pleading look.

She rolls her eyes. “You’re pathetic.”

“I’m in love.”

“You don’t even know her name.”

“Learn it for me, I beg of you my friend.”

Éponine barely holds back the flinch that tries to work its way out, covering it by reaching up and patting Marius’ cheek, more fond than she ever intended. “I’ll find her for you, _monsieur_.” She wanders off into the crowd, blending and slipping through the masses of people.

“Cosette!” A man’s voice calls.

The blonde turns with a smile.

Éponine freezes in the shadow of a nearby tent. She knows that name. She stays in the shadow and studies the girl’s face. She looks different, but she has the same nose as the girl Éponine grew up with. The same eyes, too, though they are happier now than they were in childhood. The man that approaches her cements the notion. Cosette has blossomed into womanhood, but the man who took her in looks much as he did all those years ago.

Éponine keeps a safe distance, but doesn’t hesitate to follow when they leave the market arm in arm. 

They don’t leave downtown, instead entering an old brownstone a few blocks away. Éponine slips into the alley, and finds a fenced-in garden. Cosette appears in a second-story window a moment later, opening it and leaning against the frame to look down at the flowers in the garden. A few moments later, Cosette starts to sing. Éponine settles into the shadows and closes her eyes. Cosette had a lovely voice as a child, and it seems to have only grown lovelier with her. When the song ends, and Éponine glances up again, she finds Cosette’s wide blue eyes locked on her. As she flees, she thinks she might understand, just a bit, how Marius fancies himself in love without ever speaking to the other woman.

She finds Marius again a couple hours later - she could have just texted him, but there’s something comfortable about searching for him - in the old Irish pub he and his friends favor. She meets his eyes before weaving through the crowd to an empty table.

Marius immediately leaves his friends and joins her, looking at her expectantly.

Éponine narrows her eyes.

Marius blushes and goes to the bar, coming back a moment later, glasses of red wine in hand.

Éponine nods approvingly. “Much better, _monsieur_.”

“Please tell me what you know, my friend.”

Éponine takes a sip of her wine, savoring the taste of the pricier vintages she only partakes in when Marius is buying. “I know where she is,” she admits quietly.

Marius straightens. “Can you take me to her?”

Éponine tilts her head and forces herself to smirk. “I will take you to her on one condition.”

“Anything, _mademoiselle_ ,” Marius promises.

Éponine lifts her glass. “You let me finish this lovely glass while we discuss literally anything else.”

Marius chuckles and inclines his head. “As my lady demands.”

Éponine shakes her head. “No one talks like you, _monsieur_.”

Marius smiles softly. “I like that it makes you smile.”

Éponine hides her blush in her glass.

Marius waves down the bartender and orders two bowls of stew and a second glance of wine.

Éponine raises a brow.

Marius shrugs. “It’s the least I can do. Besides, when was the last time you ate a proper meal?”

Éponine flinches.

Marius reaches across the table and lays his hand over the hand she's not clutching her wine glass with. “It is not judgment or charity, ‘Ponine.”

Éponine turns her hand under his and curls their fingers together. “I know. You wouldn’t. You’re the only one who never offers either.”

“They are terrible things to offer,” Marius squeezes her hand.

Their stew arrives and they eat as they talk about, of all things, the French Revolution.

“I’m just saying, the barricades were good in theory, but suicide in practice,” Éponine declares adamantly.

Marius laughs. “You are not wrong, my dear, but I still admire their conviction.”

“That kind of conviction gets good men killed,” Éponine argues.

“And no convictions turns men stagnant.”

Éponine hums noncommittally, regretfully taking that last drink of her wine.

Marius fidgets nervously.

Éponine rolls her eyes. “You have no chill, _monsieur_.”

Marius blushes.

Éponine sighs and stands, offering a hand to pull him to his feet. “You kept your end of the bargain. I’ll take you.”

Marius tosses a few bills on the table as he bounces up, taking Éponine’s hand and tucking it into his elbow. He raises his eyebrows when she leads him into the alleyway, but goes along without question.

She stops behind the garden and points up to the window Cosette was in earlier. “There.”

Marius starts to smile, then freezes. “This is creepy, isn’t it?”

Éponine catches a motion from the corner of her eye and steps back into the shadows, actually dark enough to hide her now that night has fallen. “Yes.”

Cosette steps through the trees and up to the fence. “You were in the market.”

Marius nods. “I was.”

“Someone followed me home.”

Marius blushes. “A friend, doing me a favor. I was… smitten.”

Cosette laughs. “Is that what that look was?”

“I wasn’t sure if you saw me.”

“I did.”

“I’d never seen anything more beautiful, and then you smiled.”

Cosette flushes, eyes shining happily. 

“Forgive me for carrying on so, I do not even know your name. I am Marius Pontmercy.”

Cosette inclines her chin. “Cosette Fauchelevent.”

“It is my sincerest pleasure.”

“Cosette!” A deep voice calls from the house.

“Coming, Papa!”

Cosette winces apologetically as she waves and vanishes.

Marius bangs his head against the wrought-iron fence.

Éponine’s heart clenches. _He was never mine to lose._ She steps out of the shadows and rests a hand on his shoulder.

Marius smiles gently at her and reaches up to briefly clasp her hand. “Truly, _mademoiselle_ , I have no truer friends. Thank you.”

The words feel like a dagger, but Éponine dredges up a soft smile before he wanders off, only allowing herself to collapse against the fence once he’s out of sight. Voices coming down the alleyway rouses her from her thoughts. Her blood runs cold when she sees her father, suddenly remembering more than she realized she knew about her father’s history with Cosette’s father, and despite her yearning for Marius to be hers… he is her friend, and she wants him to be happy.

She rushes toward the group of men. “I know this house! There is nothing for you here! Just an old man and a girl.”

Her father shoves her. “Mind your business, girl.”

“I’ll scream,” Éponine threatens.

“You wouldn’t dare,” her father sneers, continuing toward the gates.

Éponine screams.

Lights flip on through the house.

Éponine scrambles away as her father rushes her, but he manages to catch her arm and backhand her hard enough to send her crumpling to the ground before he and his band of lowlife friends flee.

Éponine hears a door open and manages to pull herself back into the shadows.

Cosette tucks an envelope into the fence before fleeing back to the house.

A few minutes later, Éponine hears tires squealing down the road. She drags herself up from the ground and trudges across to the fence.

_Marius_ is scrawled across the front of the envelope. It’s parchment, sealed in wax. Éponine can’t help but think Marius will love the aesthetic of it as she cracks open the seal. She closes her eyes after reading it. _Of course Cosette loves him too, how could she not?_

Éponine knows she’ll dream of him tonight, only to wake as alone as she always is.

When it starts to rain, she takes a deep breath, steeling her will, and trudges out of the alley. She pauses once, briefly, knowing she can’t go home, not after everything with her father tonight. In the end, she turns back to the pub.

Marius catches sight of her almost immediately, but his greeting smile almost immediately turns to a frown as he crosses the room toward her. He brushes her hair away from her face and his frown deepens. “‘Ponine, who did this to you?”

Éponine waves him off tiredly. “I defied my father.”

Marius looks startled, but his hand settles gently in the crook of her neck. “You aren’t going back there, are you?”

Éponine scoffs, allowing herself a brief moment to lean in to his touch. “I don’t have a death wish.”

His thumb brushes against the underside of her jaw. “Do you have somewhere to stay?”

Éponine forces herself to straighten, drawing away from his touch. “I can take care of myself.”

Marius’ frown deepens again, then he forcibly wipes it away, his expression becoming something softer. “We both know that, _mademoiselle_ , but you do not have to. Stay with me?”

Éponine can’t quite hide her surprise.

Something bitter crosses Marius’ face. “‘Ponine, you are hurt and you are soaked through from the rain. And, not to be indelicate, but you look tired. Please, my friend. I fear if you do not, I will lay awake all night in worry.”

Something in Éponine untenses. “Alright.”

Marius smiles and drapes his coat around her shoulders. “Think you can brave the rain for another short while?”

Éponine nods.

Marius offers his arm. “Shall we, then?”

Éponine tucks her hand in his arm and they dash out into the rain.

Marius’ apartment is just over a block away, the fourth story above a little grocer in a building with no lift.

Éponine can’t quite hide her shivering by the time they stumble through his door.

Marius all but herds her into his little bathroom. “Shower. Warm yourself up. I’ll find you something dry to wear.”

Éponine nods, too tired to protest. She finds a neatly folded stack of clothes in the hall when she steps out of the shower, grateful to pull on the sweats and shrug into the baggy sweater.

Marius is dozing on the loveseat when she comes out, but startles to alertness at the sound of her footsteps. “Feel better?”

Eponine nods. “Thank you.”

Marius frowns. “Your face is bruising.”

Éponine grimaces. “Right. Uh…”

“Sit, I’ll get you some ice.”

Éponine obeys, absently finger combing her hair as Marius bangs around the kitchen.

He returns with a tinkling bag of ice wrapped in a dish cloth and drops down next to her, gently pressing it to her bruised cheek. “Promise me you won’t go back there, Éponine.”

“Don’t have anywhere else to go,” Éponine confesses.

“So stay here. As long as you need. As long as you _want_. Please.”

“I don’t want to impose.”

Marius shakes his head. “You are never an imposition, my friend.”

Éponine closes her eyes, throat clenching around an answer, so she just nods.

She feels Marius brush a kiss across her temple. “I’m going to change. Hold this to your face.”

She lifts her hand without opening her eyes.

“Éponine.”

Éponine startles. “Did I fall asleep?”

Marius, now in sweats and a t-shirt, nods. “You did. Let’s get you to bed, shall we?”

Éponine lets him tug her up from the couch and guide her down the narrow hall. She freezes in the doorway. “Marius, no, I can sleep on the couch.”

Marius propels her forward. “My couch can barely fit two people sitting, much less any sleeping. We can both fit on the bed.”

Éponine’s heart thunders in her chest, whatever hope she might have had of not dreaming of him vanishing. _I close my eyes and he has found me._ Somehow, she forces her feet forward. It’s selfish, she knows, to want to spend the night beside him, when he loves another who loves him in return, but gives into the selfish temptation, vowing that she will give him Cosette’s letter in the morning.

She settles on the far side of the bed, laying stiffly until Marius huffs tucks his arm around her, dragging her across the mattress and into his side. “Relax, ‘Ponine. You are safe with me.”

Éponine can’t really help but bury her face in his shoulder and cry.

Marius simply holds her close and hums quietly as he strokes a hand through her hair.

Éponine is still tucked into his side when she wakes in the morning.

He smiles and squeezes her shoulders when she glances up. “Good morning, _mademoiselle_.”

Éponine frowns. “How long have you been awake?”

“No matter. You looked too at ease to wake.” He brushes his hand over her back, frowning slightly. “Your life is too full of worries for me to take a moment of peace.”

Éponine buries her face in his chest, knowing she cannot reply without giving herself away.

“What are your plans today, _mademoiselle_?”

Éponine breathes him in one final time, then forces herself to roll away. “I’m not sure, honestly.”

“Well, you are more than welcome to run about the city with me, if you’d like. Or you may lounge about the flat doing absolutely nothing.”

Éponine laughs. “I’m not one to sit idle, _monsieur_.”

“Very well,” Marius smiles. “With me, then.”

Éponine frowns. “I don’t have anything to wear.”

Marius eyes her speculatively. “You’re a bit er, curvier, than I am, _mademoiselle_ , but I do believe my trousers will fit you.”

Éponine laughs delightedly. “Just because a bean pole is built broader than you…”

Marius clutches his chest, feigning offense. “You wound me deeply, ‘Ponine.”

Éponine snorts and rolls her eyes at his antics.

Marius smirks back before he rolls out of the bed to rifle through his closet. “I’m going to shower. Help yourself to whatever you like.”

Éponine watches him go before climbing out of the bed. She ends up in a pair of his trousers - a bit snug, but flattering, if she does say so herself - along with a white button-up and a dark vest open over it.

She’s twisting her hair into a braid and pinning it into a crown around her head when a low whistle comes from the door.

Marius is leaning in the doorway. “I daresay you look far better in my clothes than I do, my friend.”

Éponine smiles. “You look just fine in them yourself.”

They spend the morning running errands for the politician Marius serves as an aid for. Éponine goes her own way to work the lunch and dinner shift at the shitty diner she’s been working at since she moved to the city, but meets Marius at the pub for a late dinner.

Éponine is just shy of miserable by the time they finish the massive helpings of Shepherd’s Pie that are set before them.

“Alright, ‘Ponine?”

Éponine nods. “Yes, but I won’t be if we keep eating like this. We’re going to the store tomorrow and I’m _cooking_ us a dinner that doesn’t sit in the stomach like lead.”

Something soft flashes through Marius’ eyes. “If you insist.”

Éponine nods. “I really do.”

Marius tosses a couple bills on the bar, then stands and offers his arm to Éponine.

Éponine rolls her eyes, but takes it. They step out onto the cold street. The hair stands up on the back of her neck less than a block later, and before she even registers it, a group of men steps out of the nearest alleyway. Éponine stiffens, and feels Marius do the same under her hand.

The nearest thug starts talking, sneering, really, but Éponine doesn’t listen to him. Marius speaks with them calmly, so Éponine focuses on their body language. She almost relaxes when none of the men try to move behind them, but then the tone of the conversation sharpens, and she tenses further. She sees one of the men reach into his jacket, and when she sees the flash of metal, she doesn’t think - she just shouts and shoves herself in front of Marius, grabbing the man’s wrist and pulling the gun away from her friend.

She hears the _bang_ , but doesn’t register the pain she expects. The men run off as she falls to the ground. Marius goes with her, cradling her in his lap. He’s speaking softly to her, but she doesn’t register the words. It starts to rain.

She pats Marius’ hand. “Don’t you fret, _monsieur_.”

“Éponine, what were you thinking?” Marius demands shakily.

“I don’t feel any pain,” Éponine mutters incoherently.

Marius flinches apologetically, then presses a hand firmly over Éponine’s midsection.

She gasps, the pain coming to her attention all at once.

“You will live, ‘Ponine,” Marius all but demands. “Dear God above, you will live.”

“A little fall of rain can hardly hurt me,” Éponine jokes weakly. “Makes the flowers grow.”

Marius holds her closer and shakes her. “Don’t go into shock on me now, love. Help is on the way.”

Éponine feels the darkness closing in, and reaches for her pocket, managing to fish Cosette’s letter out and hold it up to Marius. “I kept it from you. I was… I was jealous. I’m sorry.”

“If I could close your wounds with words of love,” Marius swears a bit hysterically.

Éponine hears sirens in the distance. “Just hold me now,” she begs.

Marius clutches her tighter.

She thinks she sees the sirens flash before the world goes black.


	2. Marius Pontmercy

The trip to the hospital is a blur, and the world around him doesn’t seem to refocus until Éponine is wheeled back into the surgery theater and he’s left in the waiting area. A hand lands on his shoulder and he spins to find Enjolras behind him. Grantaire, Courfeyrac, and Combeferre are hovering behind him, Gavroche between them.

“What happened?” Enjolras demands.

Marius feels his knees give out.

Enjolras catches him easily, and guides him to one of the stiff waiting room chairs. 

Marius looks at his hands, covered in blood, Éponine’s blood, one of them still clutching the letter she had shoved at him before she passed out. _Did she say something about jealousy?_ He opens the letter absently, almost unconsciously processing Cosette’s words.

He can’t deny his infatuation with this dear Cosette. The connection feels… cosmic, though he would never amidst as much to any out loud. _Except Cosette_ , he concedes to himself, once again scanning the words where she admits a similar feeling.

“Marius,” Enjolras' sharp tone finally snaps him fully into the present.

A nurse and a police officer are hovering near Enjolras' shoulder and Marius idly wonders how long they've been trying to get his attention. "I'm sorry, what?"

The nurse smiles sympathetically. "We need some more information about your girlfriend, sweetheart. Is there any family we need to contact?"

Marius shakes his head. "I'm all she has."

The nurse nods and offers him the clipboard in her hands. "Think you can fill this out for me, honey?"

He takes it and starts filling lines in blue ink, surprising himself with how much he actually knows about her. He fills in his own address and insurance information without a second thought, and hands the board back to the nurse before taking his phone out of his pocket and shamelessly adding her to his grandfather's insurance policy.

"Sir," the police officer clears his throat.

Marius startles. "Sorry, officer. I suppose I need to speak with you."

The man nods. "I'm Detective Javert."

"Marius Pontmercy."

“What happened tonight?"

Marius' jaw tightens and ticks. "It should have been me."

"How do you figure that?"

Marius takes a deep breath. "I work for Senator Lamarque. The men that attacked us have picketed several rallies and events this season. They've been violent before, but… They came out of an alley when we were walking home. We were arguing. I didn't see the gun, but Éponine did." He exhales shakily. “She grabbed it and stepped in front of me.”

“Could you identify them, if you saw them again?” Javert asks.

Marius nods. “Yes. We’ve called the police on them before. I would imagine they’re in your system.”

Javert nods. “Good, good. Do you know when that was?”

Marius glances at his friends. “Enjolras, do you remember? It was the rally in the historic district.”

Enjolras nods. “Er, Wednesday, three weeks ago.”

Javert steps away and pulls his phone out.

Gavroche hops up in the seat next to Marius. “What’ve you got there?” The boy nods to the parchment still clutched in his hand.

“A letter, from a very lovely girl,” Marius answers with a slight smile. He tilts his head. “Actually, I need to send one back. Do you think you could do me a favor?”

Marius steps into the nearest bathroom to scrub the blood from his hands. Gavroche has managed to scrounge a legal pad from somewhere and hands it off to Marius proudly. Marius scrawls the note out quickly, then entrusts it to the lad’s care. They all learned long ago not to worry about him running about the city by himself. Gavroche grins and salutes them all sarcastically before scampering off.

A doctor steps into the waiting area. “Who’s here for Miss Thénardier?”

Marius shoots to his feet. “That would be me. Is she alright?”

The doctor nods. “She’s out of surgery. She’s got a long recovery ahead of her, She will need a lot of support.”

“She will have everything she needs,” Marius swears.

The doctor smiles. “Good.”

Marius shoulders slump in relief. He finally has the presence of mind to offer his hand. “Thank you, Doctor.”

The doctor shakes his hand. “She’s been moved to Recovery. I can take you back if you’d like to see her.”

Marius smiles gratefully. “Please.”

Éponine is pale, even against the stark background of the hospital room.

Marius is shaking when he drops into the chair beside her bed and reaches for her hand. “I need you to pull through this, ‘Ponine. I won’t be able to live with myself if you don’t wake up, love.”

“She’s a remarkably resilient young woman,” the doctor tells him quietly.

“She had a… difficult upbringing,” Marius allows, quite certain the doctor would have seen evidence of abuse he’s always suspected, but she’d never confirmed until the night she came home with him.

“She’s safe now?”

Marius hangs his head. “I should have moved her in with me ages before I did, but… I swear no one will ever lay a hand on her again.”

The doctor nods. “I’ll leave you to it. You can ring the bell to the nurse’s station there, if you need it.”

Marius nods. “Thank you.”

He’s not sure when he drifts off, but he wakes, hunched over the bed and still clutching Éponine’s hand, to the sound of a cane tapping on the doorway.

Marius looks up, more shocked than he should be to see his grandfather. He straightens in his seat. “Sir.”

His grandfather tilts his head, a curious expression on his face. “She must be an extraordinary woman for you to finally cease scoffing at what is rightfully yours.”

Marius chuckles tiredly. “She is.”

His grandfather nods. “I guarantee you she will receive only the very best.”

Marius closes his eyes.

“I have never understood why you are unwilling to accept your place in this world.”

Marius opens his eyes and meets his grandfather’s gaze. “Is it so wrong to want to earn what I have?”

His grandfather shakes his head. “No, my boy. But the unfortunate truth is that money makes a difference in this world. You have money. Use it.”

Marius shakes his head. “It feels like cheating.”

“Cheating is a morally gray thing, boy. If it does not break any of your own ethical principles, it is merely a means to an end, isn’t it?”

Marius drops his head to bed to hide his smile. “Stop making sense.”

His grandfather chuckles. “I’ll do no such thing.”

Marius lifts his head. “I’ve been a bit unnecessarily stubborn haven’t I?”

His grandfather inclines his head. “A bit, yes.”

Marius drops his head back with a groan.

“Your senator has a rally this morning, does he not?”

“I can’t leave her.”

His grandfather’s expression softens. “Boy, any woman worthy enough to win your love would support your convictions. I can’t imagine this young woman would want you to step aside from them for her sake.”

“I won’t let her wake alone.”

“I’ll sit with her.”

Marius jerks in surprise.

“She won’t be alone.”

Marius hesitated, then nods. “You’re right. I… you’ll stay with her?”

“I promise.”

Marius stands and presses a kiss to Éponine’s temple. “I’ll be back, love.” He straightens and forces himself toward the door. He stops and offers his grandfather his hand.

His grandfather takes it and squeezes warmly.

“Her name is Éponine. Thank you.”


	3. Jean Valjean

Jean raises his eyebrow at the boy outside his door. “Yes?”

The boy holds up a piece of paper. “I’ve got a letter for Miss Cosette.”

Jean reaches out. “I’ll take it.”

The boy yanks it back and holds out his free hand.

Jean rolls his eyes, but fishes a couple bills out of his wallet.

The boy grabs for them.

Jean holds them above his head. “What’s your name, kid?”

“Gavroche, sir.”

“And who’s this letter from?”

“Marius, sir. Think he fancies Miss Cosette,” Gavroche winks.

Jean’s stomach sinks. “And who is this Marius?”

“Works as an aid for Senator Lamarque, sir.”

Jean hums noncommittally and drops the bills down to the boy’s reach in exchange for the letter.

Gavroche grins. “He’ll be at the rally tomorrow if she wants to see ‘im.”

Jean frowns. “She’ll do no such thing. Those rallies are dangerous. You stay away from there if you know what’s good for you.”

Gavroche rolls his eyes and scampers off.

Jean shamelessly opens the letter. After a sleepless night, overthinking it from every possible angle, he pulls his phone out.

“Javert,” his husband answers in a clipped tone.

“Hello to you too, dear,” Jean responds drily.

Javert heaves a sigh. “I’m at work, love.”

“Do you know the name Pontmercy?”

“Why?” Jean can hear the frown in his voice.

Jean glances at the letter again. “Because this boy called Marius seems to be carrying on some secret love affair with our daughter.”

Javert’s silence is deafening.

“Javert?”

“He’s a good lad, but he’s also a large part of the reason I wasn’t home last night. He was attacked, because of his job, and one of his friends was shot.”

Jean curses, and he can picture Javert in his mind, running a hand down his face in equal parts exhaustion and frustration.

“The girl that was shot should be waking soon. I’m heading back to the hospital.”

“Is the boy still there?”

“No, I believe someone convinced him to go to work this morning.”

Jean frowns. “Have you caught whoever attacked him?”

“No,” Javert growls. “Fool boy.”

“He’s going to get himself killed.”

“Likely,” Javert agrees blandly.

“Where’s the rally?”

“Don’t do anything stupid.”

“He loves our girl.”

“He also loves the gutshot girl laying in a hospital bed.”

“That’s for them to figure out, love. All relationships have trials.”

“I’ll text you the location. Be careful.”

Jean shrugs into a jacket on his way out and hails a cab on the street.

The rally is in full swing by the time the cab drops him off, but he makes his way to the front of the crowd, stopping near where the aids are gathered on the sidelines, subtly eavesdropping until he overhears Marius’ name and is able to put a face to the name. He’s young, so young, and clearly believes in his employer's ideals, if his impassioned arguing with the protestors is any indication. Jean is on the verge of chuckling when a shot rings out and chaos erupts.

When he sees Marius collapse, he rushes into the fray without a second thought, hauling the boy up over his shoulders and away from the conflict. He holes up in an alleyway, keeping pressure on the wound.

“I know you,” a voice comes from the shadows. “You’re the one who stole Collette from us.”

“Saved more like,” Jean growls. “And it’s _Cosette_.”

“Now, no-”

“Leave,” Jean warns, “before I lose my patience.”

Thénardier, survival instinct outstripping all else, flees.

Jean’s not sure how much time passes before he hears Javert’s voice calling his name.

“Jean, you bastard! I know you’re here!”

“Here!” Jean calls back.

Javert’s footsteps hurry toward him. “Fuck.”

Jean nods. “I think he was only hit once, but he landed badly on his arm and hit his head.”

Javert steps out of the alleyway, calling for medical.

Jean sticks to his side until the boy is loaded into an ambulance.

Javert puts a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll stay with him. Go get Cosette.”


	4. Luc-Esprit Gillenormand

The girl stirs a few hours after Marius leaves.

Luc straightens in his chair, smiling when the girl blinks at him in confusion. Her confusion quickly morphs to panic and she tries to sit up.

Luc puts a gentle, but firm hand on her shoulder to keep her down. “Easy, my dear.”

“Marius,” she rasps.

“He’s fine. Safe and unharmed.”

Éponine collapses back against the bed, relief and pain warring for dominance on her face. Her eyes are wary when she opens them to observe him again. “Who’re you?”

Luc holds a hand out. “Luc-Espirit Gillenormand.”

Éponine eyes his hand warily, but manages a brief, firm shake. “The rich grandfather, then.”

Luc can’t quite hide his surprise. “He’s spoken of me?”

Éponine’s expression softens. “Only to me.”

“I must admit that I believed he never thought of me.”

“He cares for you. He told me once that he didn’t want anything he hadn’t earned. I think he felt… conflicted.”

“I never meant to make him feel that way.”

Éponine shrugs weakly. “It’s his own problem, not yours.”

“You are wise for a young thing.”

“Growing up rough will do that.”

“I am sorry you have had to live through such trials, my dear, but I swear to you, you will want for nothing the rest of your days.”

Éponine scoffs. “I don’t want your charity.”

Luc smiles and shakes his head. “It is not charity, my dear. My grandson loves you, so how could I not? If you must call it anything, let it be gratitude for bringing him back to me.”

“Marius doesn’t love me.”

“On that, my dear, you are gravely mistaken.”


	5. Cosette Fauchelevent

Cosette hears the door open and hauls herself up off the couch. “Papa, how long do we have to stay in the apartment? I want to go home! Can’t Daddy get a new restraining order put in place against Thénardier? It _was_ him, wasn’t it? Oh my! Papa, you’re bleeding!”

Jean glances down at himself. “It’s not mine.”

Cosette’s eyes go wide and she reaches out to grasp his arms. “Daddy?”

Jean shakes his head. “No, no, he’s fine.”

“What happened?”

“There was a riot at Senator Lamarque’s rally.”

Cosette frowns. “What were you doing there?”

Jean actually blushes.

Cosette raises an eyebrow. “Papa?”

He sighs and pulls a piece of paper from his pocket.

Cosette takes it and reads it quickly, then again, slower, and feels her own blush rising. “ _Papa_! You read this?!”

“You could have told us you were seeing someone.”

Her blush practically burns. “It’s… new. And complicated.”

Jean raises a brow. “The level of devotion in those words… complicated, I believe. New, I do not.”

Cosette shrugs. “Do you believe in destiny?”

Jean’s lips quirk. “I married Javert didn’t I?”

Cosette giggles, all too familiar with her fathers’ tumultuous history. “Marius feels like that.”

Jean sobers. “He was attacked yesterday. One of his friends was badly hurt protecting him. And he was hurt at the rally today.”

Cosette’s head feels light and her knees give out.

Jean catches her easily and guides her to the couch. “He’s going to be okay. Let me get cleaned up and I’ll take you to him.”

Cosette nods absently. The sound of the shower brings her back to reality and she glances down at herself, realizing she’s still in her pajamas. She scrambles off the couch and into her room, poking through the limited wardrobe she keeps at the apartment. She settles on a soft, well worn cream sweater and with a black skirt, and slips into a pair of black flats laying on her floor, loosing her hair from its braid as she steps back into the living room.

Jean smiles softly, shrugging into a jacket as he joins her. “I wondered if you meant to go in your pajamas.”

Cosette sticks her tongue out at him.

Jean chuckles. “Just like you were eight again.”

“Can we go now?”

A marked patrol car is on the street in front of the apartment when they step outside. The officer in the driver’s seat rolls the window down. “Detective Javert sent me to give you a ride to the hospital.”

The drive is relatively short, but tense and silent. Javert meets them in the main lobby.

Cosette rushes to him.

Javert catches her easily and holds her close. “I am well, sweetheart. Surely Jean had the sense of mind to tell you that I was unhurt.”

Cosette nods against his chest. “Still needed to see it for myself.”

“Your young man needed a few stitches, and a cast. The doctor’s concern is his head injury. They did some tests. There’s some swelling, but no bleeding, so they’re hopeful. His grandfather had him and his friend moved into a private room. He said I could bring you up as soon as you got here.”

Cosette, at a loss for words, just nods and takes Javert’s hand and lets him lead her to the elevator and then down a hall on the third floor.

Javert stops when an older gentleman in a suit crosses their path. “Detective.”

“Sir.”

“Your daughter, I presume?”

Cosette snaps out of her daze and offers her hand. “Cosette, sir.”

He takes her hand with a smile. “You can call me Luc.”

“Marius’ grandfather,” Javert explains.

Cosette manages a shaky smile. “A pleasure, sir.”

Luc’s smile grows. “We both know you don’t want to be in the hallway with a couple of old men, darling. Why don’t you head in while I take your parents for coffee?”

Cosette releases Javert’s hand and impulsively presses a kiss to Luc’s cheek before slipping into the room. Marius is on the bed farthest from the door, shirtless, a bandage stark white against hid right side, his right arm in a cast, and a wicked bruise discoloring his temple. 

“Ha hasn’t woken up yet,” a voice comes from the other bed.

Cosette turns her head sharply and sees the woman from the alley.

“You probably don’t remember me,” the dark haired woman looks away.

Cosette tilts her head and looks closer.

The woman looks back.

Cosette barely bites back a gasp when she meets her eyes. “Éponine?”

Éponine offers a weak smile. “Hello, Cosette.”

Cosette feels fear flash through her.

Éponine shakes her head, almost frantically. “My parents aren’t here. I mean, they’re here in the city, but not… I don’t have anything to do with them anymore.”

Cosette allows herself to relax a bit and moves between the beds, gently settling on the edge of Marius’ and reaching for his hand. “You said he hasn’t woken yet?”

Éponine shakes her head. “No. The doctor said you can never tell with head wounds, but he thought he would be okay.”

Cosette nods. “Good.” she brushes his hair back from his face, then turns to look at Éponine. The other woman had grown into a beauty, dark hair and dark eyes against olive skin. Even pale, with dark circles under her eyes, and in a hospital bed, she’s lovely. Hospital bed. _Wait._ “You’re the one who saved him.”

Éponine shrugs helplessly. “How could I not?”

A tense silence falls between them.

“Did I ever apologize?” Éponine asks some time later.

Cosette startles. “What?”

“I don’t know why I asked. I know I didn’t. For before, you know. When we were young. I… my family was so awful to you. I never ap-”

Cosette shoves to her feet and crosses the space between the beds, settling as gently as she can at Éponine’s side and laying gentle fingers over her lips. “No. Éponine, no. We were children. You were a _child_. You only knew what you were taught and shown. I do not blame you for your parents' abuse. I have never blamed you for your parents' abuse and I am not about to start now.” She reaches up and brushes Éponine’s hair back from her face. “And even back then… They weren’t always kind to you either, yet you were kind to me when you could be.”

Éponine swallows visibly. “It never felt like enough.”

Cosette smiles. “It was.”

Éponine closes her eyes as a tear slides down her cheek. “Thank you.”

“I’m glad to see you again.”

“You too.”

“And I’m glad you got away from them.”

“I never could have without Marius.”

Cosette’s gaze flits back toward him. “Tell me about him?”

They end up stretched out on the narrow bed beside each other, Éponine’s head on Cosette’s chest and Cosette’s arm around her shoulders as Éponine tells her stories about Marius.

“You love him,” Cosette observes softly.

She feels Éponine shrug against her side. “It doesn’t matter. He loves you.”

Cosette presses a kiss to Éponine’s hair. “He would be a fool not to love you too.”

“Would you think me a cad,” Marius’ voice carried over to them, “if I said I loved you both?”

Éponine lets out a startled laugh. “No one talks like you, _monsieur_.”

Cosette smiles. “I’ve seen stranger things than three people who love each other.”

Marius grins fondly at them. “A man could die happy after waking up to a sight like the two of you.”

Cosette rolls her eyes. “I wouldn’t have pegged you for a lech.”

Marius winks.

Éponine tenses against her. “I… no. You two- don’t let me come between you.”

Cosette rests her fingers over Éponine’s lips again. “Éponine, we would never have met if it weren’t for you. You and I have too much history, and you and Marius have too much history, and the… I’m going to sound insane, but the destiny-like connection between me and Marius… there’s just _too much_ for any of us to ever pretend any relationship between any of us would have been normal, so…”

“So why not be absolutely overboard about it?” Marius asks laughingly. “Stick together and throw gobs of money and publicity at making the world a better place.”

Cosette nods. “Precisely.”

Éponine gapes. “You’re both insane. No one… people don’t _do_ that. All three of us?”

Cosette laughs and hugs Éponine close. “Darling, we’re rich. Marius is a trust fund baby who spent his early twenties being a political nightmare and refusing to touch his money. And I was raised by a convicted felon turned millionaire who married the cop who spent decades trying to kill him. We don’t have to pretend to be normal.”


End file.
